The present invention relates to improvements relating to pumps. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements relating to pumps for causing or enhancing an erection of a penis, particularly a human penis.
Erection pumps have been known in the art for some years. The manner in which such pumps work is by placing a chamber over a flaccid penis and evacuating the chamber. The evacuation causes a pressure differential between the inside and outside of the chamber. The lower pressure within the chamber causes blood to flow into the penis and thus make the penis erect.
Many pumps known in the art comprise a chamber having a diaphragm at a lower end thereof and a tube attached at an upper end thereof. The tube is connected to a hand held pump device which is usually in the form of an inflatable bulb having a non-return valve therein. In use, a user places the penis through the diaphragm into the chamber and removes air from the chamber by use of the pump.
WO 2006/024874 discloses a pump that addresses many of the problems of the prior art and provides a device that induces a strong and enduring erection. However, since the evacuated medium envisaged in this prior art document is liquid, not gas, the pressures within the chamber are required to be controllable to a very fine degree to avoid possible health risks.
There still exists, therefore, a desire to improve the functionality and usability of hitherto known pumps.